Birds of a Feather
by fayeNOISE
Summary: Based on 8 main characters from a HP roleplay I'm in. My rendition of how they met :D
1. Back on the Train

Disclaimer:  
  
I do not own Harry Potter or any of the original characters or names. (If I did, Serius would have NEVER died).  
  
However, the eight characters who are the central players of this fict are not original Harry Potter characters. Emma and Liam belong to me, Bri and Hunter belong to my friend Callie (read her fics), Gabriel and Chase belong to GPhoenix (read her fics) and Rea and Jonathan belong to SnakeEyesHannah (read her fics).  
  
Well now that's over with... YAAAAAY. ----------------------------------  
  
The whistle blew closely to Emma's ear. She jumped up suddenly from where she'd been sitting on her trunk and seized the handle.  
  
"Come along, Emma." said a shrill feminine voice from way ahead of her. Emma blinked her foggy eyes clear. Was the train starting to move? Shit, she hoped not.  
  
"I'm coming, Mum." she called ahead, tugging hard on her trunk. In front of her, her mother was standing next to an opening in the train wall, her white-blonde hair shinning in the English overcast. Emma pulled her trunk towards the door and looked up at her mother.  
  
"Where's the owl?" her mother asked. Emma glanced around quickly then whirled around.  
  
"Aricin!" she called back down the platform. The dark middle-aged gentleman in casual tweed ran up to them, carrying Necromance's cage.  
  
"I'm sorry." he apologized. "Just was distracted." he smiled. "That chocolate frog I was eating just-" he began.  
  
"Don't worry, Aricin." Emma's mother said. "That was just the ten minute whistle." she smiled. Aricin handed Emma the lightweight cage as Necromance flapped her black wings stubbornly.  
  
"Here you are, Miss." he smiled, handing her the chocolate frog card. Emma watched it glitter in her hand. Nicholas Flamel. One of her hundreds of the kind Aricin always gave her. She was fifteen now, but his treating her like an eager six-year-old always made her smile.  
  
"Thanks." She grinned, looking at the winking wizard on the card.  
  
"You take care this year." He told her. Emma nodded and looked up at her mother.  
  
"Goodbye, have a good year." she smiled dazzlingly. "We'll write to you, your father and I." she reassure. Emma smiled and gave her elegant mother an awkward hug.  
  
"Thanks Mum." she said. "But you don't have to worry that much, I'll be fine." she encouraged.  
  
"Careful with Quidditch." Her mother reminded.  
  
"I'll be fine." Emma repeated. Her mother smiled slightly, and then widened it into a sunny grin. Another whistle blew again. The last students climbed onto train and began waving to those waiting on Platform 9 and 3/4. "I gotta go." Emma said. Her mother hugged her again and then Aricin helped her onto the step with her trunk and cage.  
  
"Bye then." Emma said.  
  
"I'll write to you this evening, so you get something in the morning!" her mother called. Emma nodded and disappeared into carriage. She pushed her bags under a seat and carefully placed Necromance's cage on the opposite seat. The carriage was almost empty, save for a girl at the back, reading, and two boys laughing about something in the cabin behind hers.  
  
She waved out the window at her mother and Aricin as the train started to move. As it picked up speed she leant out the opening and shouted: "See you at Christmas!" just in time, as the train disappeared into the tunnel and out of King Cross Station.  
  
Emma sat back in her seat and ran her hands through her golden blonde hair. She pulled it back into a messy ponytail halfheartedly and looked around the cabin. Now was her fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She looked out the window at the grey sky and tapped her fingernails on the glass. She took her hand away a few seconds later, bored already.  
  
The sudden noise of of the door clicking open made her sit up straight. The person outside struggled with the door for one moment and then came in.  
  
A frightened looking girl slid into the seat across from Emma.  
  
"Sorry." she said, clearing her throat as she said it. Emma smiled slightly.  
  
"It's fine." she said, looking at the girl for moment. She had long, golden-brown hair in intricate, elegant waves and curls which hung around her tanned face. She was wearing a black jacket over a red shirt and perfectly clean jeans. Something about her looked exotic and foreign Eureopean. Emma noticed she wore a bright purple scarf around her forehead.  
  
"You in Hufflepuff?" Emma asked suddenly. The girl looked up quickly.  
  
"No... Gryffindor." she said in an accented yet melodic voice. "At least... that's what they said in my letter." she said shrugging slightly.  
  
"Oh... you're transferring?" Emma asked, quickly interested. The girl nodded shyly.  
  
"Portugal." she said quietly. "From the Castle College School." she said shyly. Emma nodded again, not quite sure what to say.  
  
"Well..." she began, scanning her brain for something. "I'm in Ravenclaw, but if you need any help with anything, just ask when you see me." she smiled. The girl grinned gratefully. The smile met her eyes and her whole face lit up.  
  
"I'm Gabriel." she said. "Diniz." she said, extending her hands.  
  
"Emma Beech." Emma replied, shaking her hand, feeling slightly strange about having to introduce herself. Most people knew her through her distinctive features and family reputation.  
  
"Agradável para encontrar-se com o." Gabriel smiled. Emma laughed slightly, having almost no clue what she'd said. There was another click at the door and a wimpy young girl in a Hufflepuff robe stuck her head in.  
  
"Fanks'." she said in a loud voice to Gabriel, who looked slightly stunned. "For lettin' mah friend's see 'im. 'E's real pretty." she said with a toothy smile. She extended an arm and set a small silver cage on the cabin table. She waved to Emma and Gabriel and disappeared.  
  
Gabriel smiled nervously and stroked the beak of something in the cage.  
  
"Wow." Emma said, eyes widened at what Gabriel was petting. A small phoenix, with long red and orange tailfeathers curling into small flames and an elegant head and bright black eyes. "This is yours?"  
  
"Sim." Gabriel nodded. "I call him FireWing. He's a pygmy." she said proudly.  
  
"Can I touch him?" Emma asked, already extending a hand. Gabriel nodded slightly. Emma reached her fingers through the fragile silver bars and stroked the phoenix's head. The feathers under her fingers were warm and soft. She looked up at Gabriel, who seemed extremely pleased with herself.  
  
"He's amazing. Even for wizard standards." Emma said, taking her hand away. Gabriel laughed slightly and stopped stroking FireWing. Emma glanced at Necromace's cage, where the black owl glared angrily at her. Emma tossed him a reluctant sigh and leant back in her seat.  
  
"England is very different to Portugal." Gabriel said. Emma looked over at her to find her looking through the window.  
  
"Oh yeah..." she said, looking through the glass at the dreary grey countryside. The green hills were rolling in the distance, covered with the last of summer's drying grass and the bleary purple color of heather. "The sun doesn't shine here much, but, it grows on you." she smiled back at the new student.  
  
"You're in 6th year?" Gabriel asked breifly. Emma nodded. "Me too." Gabriel smiled. Emma returned the gesture. Gabriel didn't need to know she'd skipped a grade. She looked back out the window.  
  
As she watched the countryside begin to fade into a dark landscape as night fell, Emma felt her eyes begin to close. By the time the sweet trolley came by she had fallen asleep. Gabriel slid a chocolate frog towards her and sat back, watching at FireWing cleaned his feathers. 


	2. Chase Carver

When Emma opened her eyes, night had fallen, and the train had stopped moving. She sat up quickly, rubbing her eyes. The cabin was empty, she heard nothing. Would they seriously leave the train here with a sleeping student still inside? She prayed the carriages hadn't left yet.

She grabbed Necromance's cage handle and the back of her trunk and pulled them, hurridly, into the corridor and out of the train. In the light of the Hogsmeade platform she could see the students of Hogwarts school being directed into their opposite directions. She hurried over to the 6th years, falling into the group that had formed in place for a line for the horseless carriages.

She saw the back of a girl's head, intricute orange-brown curls hanging down to her mid back and poked her shoulder. Gabriel turned around, looking plesantly surprised.

"Oh, there you are!" she grinned, brown eyes smiling. "I didn't want to wake you, you looked so peaceful!" she explained, still smiling. Emma nodded, trying to smile.

"How... thoughtful." she said with underlying sarcasm. She didn't want to yell at this new girl for almost making her miss the carriages. She shook her head, forgetting about it. The group of students shifted suddenly as they began to pile into the carriages.

Emma shuddered seeing the thestrals at the front of the carriages. The hot smoke billowing out of their nostrils seemed not to bother most of the students standing there. Gabriel seemed peacefully oblivious, peering over taller peoples' shoulders to see if the carriages were moving. Emma shivered in the cold night, uncomfortable.

"Will you be in a carriage with me?" Gabriel asked suddenly. Emma looked around, startled by the close sounding voice.

"What? Oh yeah... of course." she nodded as they were both somehow pushed through the crowd towards one of the black, window-lit carriages. Emma looked down at the thestral, feeling cold inside again. She grabbed Gabriel's sleeve as she passed, not taking her eyes from the skeletal horses long black wings and red glowing eyes.

"Do you see then?" Emma asked. Gabriel looked vaguely confused.

"See what?" she asked. Emma turned back towards her, shaking her head.

"Never mind." She said, climbing into the carriage and finding her seat. Gabriel took a moment to peer at the front for a moment and then clambered in next to her.

The carriage shook momentarily as they bags were placed in the back. Someone else climbed into the cabin as Emma put her feet up in the opposite seat. The door shut and there was a moment of silence before any of them spoke.

"Still going to win the cup this year, Beech?" asked a new, yet familiar voice. Emma looked up, focusing on the other person who'd climbed in. She smiled widely as she recognised who it was. The last time she'd seen Chase Carver it was after a stormy end-of-school Quidditch match. Gryffindor had won the cup and Emma, as usual, was a sore loser.

"Of course." she grinned, playing along. "How was your summer?" she asked politely. She didn't really know Chase, just the after-game talk.

"Fine. My dad was working most of the time." Chase said, shrugging slightly. "Yours?" The carriage jolted again, and suddenly started to move.

"Um... the same. You know Ministry dads... workaholics." she said nervously. She didn't need to boast about her excentric holidays in France and Italy, and then in Majorca with her cousins. She suddenly remembered Gabriel, feeling guilty for momentarily forgetting she was there. "Oh, Chase, this is my friend Gabriel. She's new." she said, gesturing to her.

"Hi." Chase said. "Oh, you're going into Gryffindor?" he asked, noticed the red and gold hemming on Gabriel's skirt.

"Um... yes." Gabriel said quickly, not making eye contact. She seemed to have become extremely nervous and tense. Emma bit her lip.

"See, look." she said, trying to make the new girl feel better. "You've already got someone to talk to when I go to the Ravenclaw table." she smiled. Gabriel looked at her and nodded slowly. Emma glanced back at Chase. "She's nervous." she explained, not sure if it was truthfully or not.

"It's fine." Chase said. "You'll make friends quickly." He said to Gabriel, flashing a white smile, which just seemed to make Gabriel blush more. Emma's mind suddenly clicked. Chase ran a hand through his shiny black hair, momentarily pushing it out of his blue eyes and looked through the tiny window in the carriage. Emma tilted her head to the side, looking at Chase, then she glanced at Gabriel, a questioning look in her eyes. She leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"Are you fancying Chase?" she asked, coming away with a smile on her face. Gabriel widened her eyes and shook her head vigourously. Emma laughed. Chase looked over.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing." Emma said. Chase opened his mouth to say something again, but as he did the carriage stopped suddenly. The doors opened automatically. Emma grabbed Gabriel's wrist and pulled her out. "See you, Chase!" she called over her shoulder, starting up the castle steps with Gabriel.

"Who was that?" The Portugese girl asked suddenly, pulling her to a stop.

"Chase. He's in Gryffindor. Why the nervous face?" Emma said, looking at her suspiciously.

"Nothing, I just-" Gabriel began. The was the sudden noise of clapping echoing in the halls.

"This way students!" Professor McGonagall called, dismissively. "You know the drill!" Emma looked back at Gabriel.

"Just go to the Gryffindor table and tell one of the prefects what to do, they'll make you feel at home." she smiled.

"Okay, thank you." Gabriel smiled. "When will I see you again?" she asked.

"Er... Tomorrow morning. Breakfast." Emma promised. "I'll wait for you. Now I've got to go, there are the Gryffindors." she said, ushering Gabriel over and into the crowd of red, gold and grey. She waved and hurried back to her group of Ravenclaw friends, embracing each one of them, having not seen them over the summer.

They made their way into the Great Hall and took their seats, ready to watch the sorting.


	3. The Girl By the Lake

Emma woke up early in the morning. Valkyrie was batting at her face as she opened her eyes. She said up, startled at the close-up view of the snow white kitten in her face.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, banging her head agaist the wall behind her four poster bed. She gathered her cat into her arms, stroking her white ears. The dark blue curtains of her bed were pulled all the way shut and she felt like she was beginning to have a headache. Valkyrie clambered out of her arms and jumped behind the curtains. Emma threw the covers aside and leaned through the drapes to her trunk and the base of her bed.

She pulled out a pair of black pants and a thick brown woolen sweater and changed quickly behind the curtains, shivering in the castles' cold. She pulled on her black shoes and tiptoed out of the bedroom. She went down and through the crystal-over-marble Ravenclaw common room. She slipped through the entrance way and climbed the staircase to the base of the statue that was their secret opening.

The castle was silent.

Feeling like breaking the silence would sound like a thousand glass chandeliers smashing, she tiptoed towards the marble staircase and followed it down to the main hall. Nymph-like she ran quietly to the huge oak doors and went outside.

The early morning sky was slate grey and studded with wispy purple and white clouds. A dull mist hung in the air, but it wasn't as cold as Emma would have thought. She walked out across the lawn, taking in the perfect view of the Hogwarts grounds during the early morning.

Through the slight fog she could see a dark figure standing by the lake, tossing rocks into the calm surface. Emma smiled, curious and walked over.

"The squid doesn't like that much." she said, stopping at the shore. The figure looked up, a curtain of dark brown-black hair falling behind her shoulders.

"That's the idea." She smiled. "I'm trying to wake him up." Emma almost laughed, but it seemed like the girl was perfectly serious.

"Why?" she asked.

"Well I thought I was the only one awake. Had to share my misery with someone." she shrugged, throwing her last rock. It skipped along the surface and was suddenly snatched by a long grey tentacle with immediately sunk back below the surface.

"I guess it worked." Emma said, leaning against a nearby tree.

"I guess so." The girl smiled, dusting her hairs. Her exotic brown eyes seemed to shine with the reflection of the grey sky. Her hair was long and free flowing behind her back. She was wearing a long sleeve black shirt and a pair of dirty jeans. Another Gryffindor. "I'm Aerienne." she said, extending a hand to Emma.

"Emma." she said in reply, shaking her hand.

"Yeah... I know." Aerienne said quickly. Emma smiled. She always had to smile, no matter how annoying it was that she could never meet someone at Hogwarts who didn't alredy know who she was. Aerienne took her hand away and pulled her hair into a low pony-tail.

"I thought I was the only early riser in the castle." Emma said. "It's strange."

"Oh... I didn't sleep well." Aerienne explained. "Nightmare or something." she shrugged. She bent to pick up another rock and a long silver chain fell into view around her neck. A bright green gem at the end seemed to glimmer in the morning light. Emma felt her heart skip a beat. Something about it made her suddenly want to leave. Aerienne pulled back her arm and skipped the rock along the water again. The tentacle reappeared and caught the rock, but it didn't disappear afterwards.

"Oh shit! Run!" Aerienne shouted suddenly, grabbing Emma's sleeve and pulling her away from the shore as the rock was thrown back at them with force. It landed in the grass some close to Emma and buried itself several inches in the ground. The tentacle drew back, throwing another rock.

The two girls ran back towards the castle as rock and rock was pelted after them.

"Shit that thing needs morphine!" Emma stuttered as they stopped in the doorway. Aerienne began to laugh hysterically. "I'm serious!" Emma began.

"No no, I know." Aerienne giggled. "I should go change. I told some friends I'd meet them for breakfast."

"Bye then." Emma said. "Nice meeting you."

"You too." Aerienne said, before disappearing through the door. Emma watched the mist settle for another moment and then went inside also. She went back up the staircase and changed for breakfast.


	4. Breakfast

this part is laaaaame, i wrote it like... 6 months ago as a link. so just skim it.  
--------

Emma came back downstairs dressed in her Ravenclaw uniform. From the Southern Tower window it looked like a cold day and she kept her cloak around her shoulders. She walked into the Great Hall, seeing a somewhat forlorn Gabriel sitting at the Gryffindor table.

"Morning." she smiled and sat down across from her. She grinned almost instantly.

"I thought maybe you weren't coming." she smiled.

"Oh no... I wouldn't do that." Emma laughed. "I just... had an interesting early morning." she smiled, remembering her and Aerienne's incident with the angry squid. "Have you met anyone called Aerienne in Gryffindor yet?" she asked.

Gabriel shook her head.

"No one of that name, I think." she said, starting on her corn flakes. "Lots of nice people though." she smiled. "Did you know we have second class together? Gryffindor and Ravenclaw." she said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

"Um... Care of Magical Creatures? Yes..." she nodded. "It'll be fun. See what Grubbly-Plank thinks up this year..." The windows above them opened and a swarm of owls flew over the tables. One of the Beech's prized Asio Owls landed in front Emma, dropping a copy of the Daily Prophet in front of her and then swooping off.

"Any news?" Gabriel asked as Emma opened the slightly crumpled newspaper.

"Nothing... as usual." she sighed. "Just Draco Malfoy's latest promotion. And... oh look, muggle toilets are the new hottest item for your modern wizarding home." she said, pointing at a small caption.

"Strange news. " Gabriel smiled. "Oh, the Wimbourne Wasps won against the Pride of Portree." she said, pointing at a moving picture of wasp embroidered Quidditch players cheering at the crowd.

"Aw... shit." Emma said. "Dad has stocks in the Pride." she sighed. Someone sat down next to her suddenly and she looked up, seeing Chase.

"Shouldn't you be sitting at the Ravenclaw table?" he asked. Gabriel had gone silent again.

"Rude." Emma said. "I was just helping Gabriel get settled." Chase picked up her newspaper.

"Wow. The Wasps won, great." he said, smiling. Emma shook her head, looking at her plate. "Do you like Quidditch?" he asked Gabriel. She nodded and opened her mouth.

"I used to play. In Portugal." she said, smiling before hiding herself by drinking some pumpkin juice.

"Awesome." Chase nodded. He stopped and looked at Emma smiling. She glanced at him.

"What?"

"First Hogsmeade weekend's in a few weeks." he said.

"I know."

"Got any plans?" he said, becoming hesitant.

"I have to get a new broom handle. The Cloud-Splinter didn't come with one." she shrugged.

"A Cloud-Splinter!" Chase asked, distracted from where he had been leading earlier. Emma wasn't sure if he was surprised or had just never heard of it.

"You know us Beeches. I have a family that likes to keep up with the times." she said, smiling."I'll see you, Gabriel. Bye, Chase." she said, walking back towards the exit to the hall. She went up the stairs and back to the Southern Tower. Pushing Valkyrie off her bed, she dusted cat hair off her black messenger bag and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. She picked up her bag and put _'Two-Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi'_'in it and went outside for Herbology with the Hufflepuffs.


	5. The Hippogriff and the Slytherins

Emma finally raced down the hill from the castle, ten minutes late to Care of Magical Creatures. She'd stayed late to clarify something is Professor Sprout which had taken longer than she'd expected.

She stopped at the edge of the group of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, all of whom were gawking at something. She searched the crowd for Gabriel, ignoring what they were staring at.

"What a pleasure to see you, Miss. Beech." Grubbly-Plank's eroded voice called from the front. "I hope tardies will not decorate your attendance again this year." she sniffed. Emma nodded nervously.

As soon as the old teacher's attention was distracted again by whatever creature they were studying, a hand grabbed hers and pulled her through the crowd.

"Look!" Gabriel smiled widely. "Isn't it... it's amazing!" she gasped, pointing towards the creature. It was a hippogriff. Emma nodded again.

"Yeah, it's great." she said nervously. She got the feeling Gabriel had never seen a hippogriff before. "It's a hippogriff." she said.

"Yes, I know." Gabriel said, her eyes not leaving the creature. "But I've never seen one so beautiful!" She let go of Emma's hand. Grubbly-Plank was rambling about manners in front of the hippogiff.

"Can I have a volunteer?" she asked simply, snapping. Hands raised immediately, everyone, except for Emma, was enthusiastic. Gabriel's hand was up high in the air and she was waving it. Grubbly-Plank smiled, a look which did not suit her.

"Miss Diniz." she croaked. "Let's have our new student give it go." Gabriel put down her hand and stepped forward. Grubbly-Plank led her towards the creature, saying something to her. Emma glanced over, seeing Chase through the sea of red and blue cloaked heads. He was watching the pen carefully, looking fairly pensive about something. Emma looked down.

Suddenly she heard Grubbly-Plank yelling.

"Eye-contact, Miss Diniz! Keep eye-contact!" she screeched. The hippogriff was up on it's hind legs, poised above Gabriel who was backing away in her bow very quickly. It didn't matter what happened next, if she kept eye-contact or not. She tripped, fell, and one of the hippogriffs mightily talon's caught her across the ankle. She let out a scream, and without even knowing it, Emma had launched across the grass towards her.

Grubbly-Plank was restraining the hippogriff with an intricate whip with a cage-like structure at the end. She threw it a dead rabbit and rushed over to the fallen Gryffindor.

Gabriel's socks were red -redder- with blood and she was whimpering.

"Miss Beech." Grubbly-Plank said. "The headmaster, please." Emma nodded and got up. "The rest of you, class dismissed! Back to the castle until lunch!" she barked at the remaining students.

Emma was already running back to the castle. She heard someone faintly call her name, but she was gone.

---

Emma pushed open the huge castle doors and rushed up the carpeted stairs. She'd been to the headmaster's office only twice before, for particularly bad detention-causing acts.

It might have been because she was hurried, or it might have been the sense of sickening guilt that Gabriel may no longer have an ankle, but somewhere on the second floor, she got lost.

The mess of corridors was a blur. Where was she? Suddenly, she heard laughing and two people talking. She followed the sounds until, at the end of a passage, was the ugly gargoyle figure, hunched over like it was angry at them. She stepped up to it very carefully, still hearing the girlie laughter, and then there was a boy's voice, or a young man's.

"Would you two shut up?" it was angry, annoyed, but if it had been calm, she had the feeling it would have been soft and dark.

"Be quiet, Liam." said another voice, deeper, a boy's. The girl laughed again.

"Turn up your music." she said. She sounded familiar. "We've got nothing better to do until he opens up to let us in." she smiled. The first voice made a sigh. Emma felt very meek. She stepped forward into the opening of the headmaster's office, and she saw the three speakers.

The first, Liam, had been a older boy, probably seventh year with very pale, messy, blonde hair. His eyes were bright green and rimmed in dark black eyeliner which made him almost frightful to look at. His eyebrow was pierced, as were his ears, several times. He was beginning to put on a pair of headphones, but he stopped when he saw her.

The second speaker and the girl were standing on the opposite side of the passage from him. The boy was the same age as the first with brown, spiky hair and eyes of the same color. His eyebrow was also punctured with a silver ring and he had his arms around Aerienne, the girl from the lake. All of them were wearing green and silver ties, as if Emma couldn't already guess their house.

They all froze when they saw her.

"Um... is the headmaster in there?" she asked them, nervous. The first boy, Liam, smiled and put his headphones down.

"I don't know. You're the smart one here, why don't you tell us?" he laughed.

"We don't know the password." Aerienne said, a little softer. Emma looked at her. She could have sworn the girl would have been in Gryffindor, but she was obviously wrong. Very wrong. The guy had his arms around her waist and was looking very surprised.

"Why do you need to see Dumbledore?" he asked her. He let go of Aerienne, and instead went over to Emma.

"Why do you?" she asked, still pondering how best to answer the question herself.

Liam and the boy before her both laughed.

"They set off a fang powder bomb under McGonnagal's desk." Aerienne said.

"God, Rea! You're not supposed to tell her that." Liam said. He was standing next to the other boy now. They reminded Emma of two demons she'd read about in a book some time in the past. One could only speak lies, and one only truths. The trick was to ask the question that would reveal which was which.

"I need to get to Dumbledore." she said. "I know the password, if you want to get in faster."

"Fine." said the boy with brown hair. He moved aside and Emma went up to the gargoyle.

"Pepper Imps." she said clearly. The gargoyle leapt aside and the staircase appeared. Aerienne was smiling.

"Don't question with Ravenclaws, Hunter." she was saying, laughing. "Especially not ones who always get their way." Emma gave her a glare.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked. Every second she was wasting Gabriel was in more pain. She didn't wait for an answer, she just went up the stairs and into Dumbledore's office and the gargoyle leapt back into place, leaving the three Slytherin's outside.


	6. The Hospital Wing

Emma stood outside the hospital wing that evening, thinking to herself. She held a handful of very purple flowers which were beginning to wilt in her hand. She shook her head and went through the door.

In the infirmary, there were several beds up against the walls. Close to the entrance there was a seventh-year boy with messy black hair who was reading the Daily Prophet. Further up on the other side, Gabriel was sitting up in bed reading from an old withered brown book.

"Hey." Emma said, coming up to her and putting the flowers on the bedside. "How're you feeling?" Gabriel shut the book a little way and smiled, as if nothing had happened.

"Much better." she grinned. "Madam Pomfrey already healed it up, she just said to stay off it for a day. I'll be back to tame another hippogriff." she laughed. Emma smiled gratefully.

"Good." she said happily. "I was freaking out."

Just as Gabriel was about to laugh, the door swung back open and in stepped Aerienne, Hunter and Liam. Emma expected that they'd immediately pounce on her, but they paid no attention to the two non-Slytherins and instead went over to the other boy.

"Hows the leg, T?" Aerienne asked, bringing her hand down sarcastically-hard on the boy's leg under the blanket. He winced and smiled.

"Broken again now, thanks to you." he said. Hunter tossed something at him and pulled the newspaper out of his hand while T examined it.

"Gillyweed shortage?" he said, reading some of the paper. "You nerd, Jonathan." he laughed, putting the paper on the bedside.

At this, Gabriel grabbed Emma's sleeve.

"We've been talking since I arrived." she was whispering, smiling. "His name's Jonathan and he's _so_ nice! Not like how you'd expect. He broke his leg on the Whomping Willow, the wind blew his homework over to it." she said, hurried and excited.

"You're just a bundle of hormones, Gabriel." Emma said and she straightened, a smile on her lips, still watching the group. The pale boy, Liam was leaning against the wall examining something on his hand. Hunter and Aerienne were talking to the boy in the bed.

The door swung open again, making Liam jump, and someone stormed in.

"Madam Pomfrey!" screeched a girl. Her hair was bright-red and wispy, but somehow it reached to her waist. The elderly nurse bustled in.

"Oh, Ana. What is it?" she said. The girl showed no sign of needing a doctor.

"This-" the Slytherin prefect began, looking behind her. She was shocked to see that no-one had followed her in. Emma noticed that the four Slytherins had noticed her now, and they were talking, hushed to each other. Ana rounded on her heel and went back to the door. "Get in here, Brianna!" she shouted, pulling on someone's arm and going back to Madam Pomfrey.

The girl she was dragging with her, was probably the most striking person Emma had ever seen, including Liam, with all his piercings and make-up. She was tall and slim with a curtain of shining black hair. Her skin was so pale, Emma thought she might have been transparent. Her eyes were dark and angry. The only color on her was her green tie, the red of her lips and the pink in her cheeks as if in embarrassment. Emma knew the face well.

"She needs medical attention." Ana said primly. Brianna shook her arms free and folded them.

"I'm fine!" she spat. "I don't need _anything_!" But Madam Pomfrey already had taken her to the nearest bed and pulled her arm over the blankets and pushed her sleeve away. Emma saw a long, dark streak of blood running diagonally across her forearm.

"My dear..." Madam Pomfrey whispered. "How did you do this, Miss Eveane?"

"I fell." Brianna said bluntly. The Slytherin prefect shook her head in dissatisfaction and breezed out of the room. Hunter and Aerienne looked in disbelief. "My dorm mate was practicing some shit for Defense Against the Dark Arts." Brianna said in admittance. "I got in the way."

"I don't believe this." Hunter laughed, running a hand through his hair.

Madam Pomfrey nodded and told Brianna not to move and she went out of the room to get something. Emma looked at the girl to find that she was already glaring back at her, black eyes like fire. Emma nearly jumped backwards and she looked away.

"Who's that?" Gabriel whispered.

Brianna Eveane and her family were no strangers to the Beeches. Her father was a Death Eater, a particular effort of Emma's father to capture and hold responsible. The problem being, no one could prove Ciaran Eveane's allegiance to the Dark Lord.

"Bri Eveane." Emma whispered back. She looked up again. Aerienne was next to Bri, saying something to her quietly. Hunter, Liam and T were in conversation, glancing over at them every now and again. "Her dad's like... number one on everyone's suspicion list. A bit like the Malfoys... only with more money and a bit smarter."

"Oh." Gabriel whispered back. Emma realized she probably didn't know who the Malfoy's were. "Why doesn't someone just go and... suspect them?" With the authorities, I mean."

"They do. All the time. Ciaran, that's her father, hides his tracks perfectly. They only disturbance in their house it seems is her deranged mother crying. My father's been in there, he says the whole place is cold and dark, but there's never anything there to provide strong evidence that the Eveanes are Death Eaters." she whispered back in reply, feeling a little cold. Emma turned her head to look back at the two groups of Slytherin to find Aerienne walking towards her.

"I just wanted to say sorry about that comment before." she said, stopping next to the bed.

"What comment?" Emma asked, seriously not remembering.

"About getting your own way." Rea said, "Earlier, outside Dumbledore's. You looked a bit upset and I just wanted to clear the air..." she shrugged.

"Oh right." Emma said, smiling a little more now. "Thanks." she said. She realized now that there was something the tiniest bit familiar about Rea, like someone she had met years ago, or a forgotten photograph that'd been pulled out when she was a child. "What did you say your last name was?" she asked, not wanting to sound out of place, but wondering.

"Tooper." she said. "But I don't think you'll meet many more Aeriennes in your lifetime." she laughed a bit. Then she turned to Gabriel. "And you?"

"Gabriel Diniz." Gabriel said. She held out her hand and Aerienne shook it. "I cut my ankle on a hippogriff." the girl explained quickly and Aerienne laughed at her choice of words.

"Rea, what are you doing?" Hunter called from behind her. Rea turned so her dark brown hair fell around her shoulders.

"Being friendly, Hunter." she said. "Something you can't do." she turned back. "Sorry. Forgive the boyfriend, not the nicest guy to non-Slytherins." she sighed.

"I figured." Emma said. "I don't think many of your friends are..." she said, looking at Liam and the other guys over Rea's shoulder. She didn't dare look at Bri, incase she was still glaring.

"Oh they are... T is anyway. The one in the bed." she said. "The others are... from long Slytherin families." she explained. Something about the way she said it made Emma assume her family was not the same.

"I don't understand this... house rivalry thing." Gabriel said from the bed.

"Rea!" Hunter called again.

"It's just... stupid?" Gabriel continued, questioning her word choice.

"What is it Hunter?" Rea called back, aggravated, rounding on her heel.

"Here we go then..." Madame Pomfrey said, bustling into the room again with a bottle of something in her hands. "Oh... dear!" she cried stopping at Bri's bed. Everyone looked. The dark haired girl seemed to have fainted. "Miss Tooper, you were watching her?" The elderly nurse asked, running over to the other side of the room to reach something from a high medicene cupboard. Everyone -aside from T and Gabriel, the two invalids- rushed over to the bed.

"Oh shit..." Rea cussed under her breath. "Shit, shit, shit!" Bri's arm was still seeping blood which had stained the crisp white bed sheets a bright crimson. Emma felt the slightest bit sick. The girl looked dead. Liam grabbed her wrist with one hand.

"She's got a pulse, Rea, it's fine." he said, his fingers on the spot. Madame Pomfrey ran back, parting the crowd and immediately closed up Bri's wound with a swish of her wand. She uncorked a little blue bottle and held it under Bri's nose. Immediately her eyes opened and she sat straight up.

"Shit!" she shouted, putting her free hand to her head. "Oh fuck, my head!"

"She might rave like a lunatic for a few minutes," Madame Pomfrey said, chuckling a bit now that the danger was over. "My strong things were the only thing I could find in time."

"My fucking head! You bitch!" Bri raved, glaring viciously at Madame Pomfrey who was putting a bandage around the closed skin on her arm. "Let go of my fucking arm, you bastard!" she shouted at Liam who immediately let go.

"Alright Bri..." he said, looking surprised and a bit hurt.

"She doesn't mean it." Emma told him.

"I know that, thanks." he said snidely, glaring at her immediately afterwards. Rea was laughing.

"One night here for supervision I'm afraid, Miss Eveane." The nurse said, stepping away from the neat bandage.

"Bitch!" Bri swore again. She hugged her arm to her and said nothing more, just looked sad and mistaken.

"Sorry for leaving you, Bri." Rea said, patting her girl's shoulder. Emma looked over her shoulder at Gabriel, feeling bad for leaving her, only finding she was totally occupied... talking with Chase who was holding a brown bag and giving it to her.

"Hi, when'd you get here?" Emma asked, going over and standing on the other side of the bed.

"I think at... 'My fucking head, you bitch.'" Chase said, smiling.

"Sounded exciting." Gabriel said.

"I guess." Emma said. "What'd you get?" she asked her.

"Chocolate frogs. Want one?"

"No thanks."

"Oh look." Came a voice from over at Bri's bed again. Liam. "It's Beech's boyfriend."

"He is _not_ my boyfriend!" Emma said, just as Chase said the same for her, changing the proper words. They both looked at each other and then looked away.

"That was awkward." Gabriel said, biting a chocolate frog. She looked very amused.

"Come on now, you lot." Madame Pomfrey said. "The infirmary is closing and these lot need their sleep." She tsked, ushering out the three Slytherins and looking at Chase and Emma.

"Bye T, see you tomorrow." Hunter said, waving at the boy in the last bed.

"See you."

Emma waved to Gabriel and then followed the crowd sweeping through the hospital wing.

"Bye Bri." Rea said just as they got through the door. "See you tomorrow!" the door shut and left the remaining five outside.

"Well... see you lot tomorrow." Liam said, not even addressing them. He began to walk away quickly, hands in pockets.

"Yeah, bye guys, nice meeting you." Hunter said, hardly truthful, following his friend after placing a kiss on Rea's forehead.

"I'd better follow them." Rea said, smiling at the two. "Sorry for my friends."

"It's understandable." Chase said. "I'm Chase, by the way."

"Rea." she said. "I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe bright and early again, Emma?" she grinned and then turned and followed the two boys.

When the corridor was clear again the two remaining students walked together to the Great Hall.

"Was that the Eveane kid?" Chase asked.

"Yeah." Emma said.

"I thought so." Chase said, thoughtfully.

"I feel bad about leaving the three of them together."

"Why? All they'll do is take some pills and go to sleep and we'll visit them in the morning."

"Right." Emma said, "I just forgot my reasoning." They reached the stairs. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Chase." she said, starting up, while he continued to the moving staircase.

"Bye. Night Em." he said. "Oh wait." She stopped and turned. "So about that Hogsmeade weekend?" Chase began. Emma laughed.

"Goodnight Chase." she smiled and went up the stairs.

"Goodnight." Chase sighed and then he disappeared into the shadowy castle darkness.


	7. Brianna Eveane

The next morning, Emma woke up early again. Valkyrie was sleeping elegantly on her pillow, peaceful for once. Emma climbed out of bed silently, seeing the curtains of her three dormmates closed. She pulled on some clothes and her Ravenclaw scarf and pushed a book into her bag and tiptoed outside, down the stairs, and out into the grounds.

When she reached the lake, there was no one there. She wasn't sure of Rea would be coming for sure and so she sat down under a tree and opened her book. She checked over her shoulders and then began to read. It was a kind of ritual that she took whenever she read, mostly just because she almost always read illegal things. Stuff she found in her family library, things in the restricted section and books from Nocturne Ally that she had Perrin find for her since she was never allowed to go down that street.

For sometime now, the subject of her fascination had been animagi. She day-dreamed about perhaps becoming one and about what form she'd take. She'd read many books, but none about actually _becoming_ an animagus, or the trials one would have to take.

She'd been reading for about fifteen minutes when a rustle in the tree's branches made her stop and shut the book. She stood up, trying to peer through the sparse leaves to see what it was. She didn't have to wait long. A sleek, black, falcon quickly spread its wings and took off into the distance. Emma watched it go as far as she could until it disappeared.

She slipped her book back into her bag and walked back along the grounds towards the castle. The clock on the Hogwarts tower told her it was fifteen minutes until breakfast. She went inside and sat down on the stairs. After a few moments of searching, she pulled a sheet of parchment from her bag and loading a quill with ink. Leaning on one of the steps, the peacock feather balanced in her hand, she checked around her again and began to write.

_Dear Dad, _

_School is going well. Well, it's only been one day, but you know what I mean. Have made a new friend from Portugal who I met on the train. She wound up in hospital yesterday, so I took some of those Dawnbell flowers that Mum likes so much. _

_I write to you mostly to ask a question. I met a girl yesterday out by the lake called Aerienne Tooper and something about her seemed familiar. I thought it best to ask you, since you have the contacts. _

_Love to Perrin, Jordan, and everyone. _

_Love Emma_

She waved the paper in the air to let the blue ink dry and then folded it up in her bag and went back up the stairs to change into her uniform and send her letter.

---

After dinner Emma stopped by the Hospital Wing. Gabriel was chatting happily with T, who's bed had been moved closer to hers so they could talk. Bri Eveane was not in her bed and Gabriel said she had not seen her all day.

Emma had homework for Snape so she apologised and told Gabriel she'd drop by just before curfew. Then she went back to the Ravenclaw and wrote out her ten-inch essay on the uses of fairy dust in the modern wizarding world. She didn't like the comercial focus of her essay but she didn't really care. She was already acing Potions. It was easy. She rolled up the parchment and left it in her bag. Valkyrie was washing herself by the common room fire. Emma patted her head and let the Prefect on duty know that she'd be back in ten minutes.

She tiptoed through the dark castle towards the dim light of the infirmary. When she entered Gabriel and T were both sleeping in the scarce light in the beds closest to door. Emma thought for a moment that she was late and it was already curfew, but then Madame Pomfrey appeared in the opposite door, the one going to her office and chambers and Emma dived behind Gabriel's bed incase she was seen.

"It's almost curfew, Mr. Cromwell, Miss Eveane. Lights out." she said.

"Five more minutes, Madame Pomfrey." Bri said. It was the calmest voice Emma had ever heard her use. "I swear that's all." The old nurse nodded and shut the door.

Emma looked up, over Gabriel and T's sleeping bodies and realized that the actual only light in the room was from a candle next to Bri's bed, the light of which was fractured around the room by a large, white screen which was used to block Bri off from the other two. Emma could understand the need for her privacy, she obviously inherited it from her father. From where she was she could see the sillohettes of both she and Liam without them seeing her. If she moved to the door they'd both see her. She could only sit and watch.

"You'd better go." Bri said. She was sitting up in her bed, Liam standing next to her. "I wouldn't want you to get more detention just because of me."

"I'm fine with getting detention." Liam said. It was also the calmest voice Emma'd heard him use. It was soft and poetic, quite difference than how she'd thought. They were both silent for a few moments.

"I'll be out tomorrow. I'll see you at breakfast." she said.

"I came by at lunch with Rea, you weren't here." Liam looked at her.

"I went for a walk." Bri said.

"You're under supervision, Bri." He snapped, not harshly. "T said you hadn't been there all day. He thought you were let out." They were both silent again.

"I can't talk about it, I'm sorry, Liam."

"It's fine, whatever."

"Don't get pissed at me." Bri said. Emma saw their shadows both look away from each other. "You should go now."

"Why? Hunter'll just bore me to tears with new tales of Vickers-Tooper-love-fest." Liam said, sounding like he was dreading the event. Bri laughed. "That's the first time I've heard you laugh in like... a year."

"It wasn't that funny." Bri said. "Okay. You should really go now." she said. She put an arm on his shoulder, pushing him towards the door. Liam didn't move.

"Kiss me goodnight first." he asked. Bri laughed again.

"You're joking." she said. Liam leaned over and kissed her. Emma bit her lip. She really shouldn't be watching this at _all_. What else could she do? Cover her eyes... not likely... "Liam, don't." she heard Bri say. It was like Emma had walked into the wrong film at a cinema... not that'd she'd ever been to a cinema before. She turned silently, watching their sillohettes again now that they were no longer kissing.

"What? Am I that repulsive?"

"No." Bri said very slowly, as if she was thinking what to say next. "It's just that... "

"That what?" he seemed to almost be making fun of her now, and she wasn't taking it badly.

"We're... very different." Bri sighed.

"Hardly." Liam said. "I think we're both pretty fucked up."

"That's not what I meant."

"Well... I'll let you think about it. I think we'd be good, Bri. Plus, you owe me an apology for calling me a bastard."

"Because I'm obviously the only person to ever call you one." Bri teased. The light from the nurse's office flickered. "Okay, you have to go now!" she said, slapping his arm. Their sillohettes hesitantly kissed each other goodnight again, then Liam's disappeared and Emma watched him walk towards the door, opened it and close it behind him. Bri sat for a moment, then turned off the lamp on her bedside.

Emma's neck felt stiff. She scrambled as quietly as possible to her feet and tiptoed towards the door.

"Give it up Beech, I know you're there." Bri's voice said smoothly, making her jump. A moment later the girl was standing in front of her bed in a white hospital night gown, her arms folded and her black eyes staring intently at Emma. "How long were you spying?"

"I didn't mean to. I just interupted and then... I thought it best not to-"

"Whatever. I don't really care. You were making so much noise anyway. I heard you breathing. I think Liam might of too." Bri sniffed.

"I'm sorry." Emma frowned, not knowing what else to say.

"You want to be an animagi?" Bri asked suddenly. Emma was taken aback.

"What? No... wait, -"

"I saw you this morning, reading under your tree." Bri grinned slightly, raising an eyebrow. She was waiting for Emma to guess. The only one watching had been that strange, dark, falcon. Emma mirrored the smile. Bri was testing her, allowing her to know her secret if she was smart enough.

"You're the falcon." she said.

"You're clever." Bri said. "But you tell anyone and I'll personally see that your crucified. No one knows. Just- nevermind." She unfolded her arms and pushed her hair behind her ears. She glanced over at T and Gabriel and bit her lip. Then she came closer to Emma and slipped into the corridor, beckoning the other girl to follow her with one finger.

"But... how did you become one?" Emma asked in a hushed whisper once they were in the privacy of the passageway.

"I taught myself. It's not impossible. Illegal of course, but what's the fun without." she smiled, becoming a little more comfortable. Emma bit her lip. Bri noticed. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You want me to help you don't you?"

"No."

"Yes, you do."

Emma and Bri held eye contact for a moment. Shaded blue eyes stared black-grey ones in the shadowy corridor. "I can _tell_ you're lying." Bri said. Emma drew her eyes away.

"I do. But I won't ask." she said, turning on one foot and starting back to Southern Tower.

"Wait." She heard Bri said. So she stopped and turned around.

"If I help you, you have to do something for me." she said. Emma thought about this for a moment and decided she'd hear the price first.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I haven't decided yet." Bri said with a smile. Emma weighed the odds in her mind. She really did have more power over Bri in this situation. If she threatened her with anything horrible she could spill Bri's secret, or send her father to her home in the country to confiscate all evidence of her being an animagi.

"Alright." she said.

"Fine." Bri said. "I'll have something more useful than your library books tomorrow." she said. "And I'll think about what you can do in return."

"Thanks." Emma smiled. To her surprise, the girl smiled back. It was a different smile. Happy, not supersticious, and it made her look very pretty. It was over in a second and Bri brushed back into the Hospital Wing, leaving Emma in the moving shadows of the trees outside.

Emma turned quietly, listening for prefects, and then ran to the staircase.

When she returned to the Southern Tower, a prefect was there to scold her, since she was, in fact, fourty-five minutes late than when she had said she'd return.

The prefect gave her one night's detention, reporting to Filch, and sent her to bed.


End file.
